Month: December 2017

Choosing a word or theme for your new year is a great way to keep focus on how you want the year to play out. Words are very powerful, as they can elicit emotions that feed drive and motivation. The more compelling the words are to you, the more connection you will feel.

The power of words are nothing new, as you can look at songs, poems. ad motivational quotes, which are all ways we feel an emotion which then creates an attachment to something o someone. The resulting emotions then lead to a behavior and taking action of some kind.

You can choose a word, phrase or a particular theme for areas of your life, such as:

for your relationship with money: abundance, savings, no more debt, freedom

for your health: eat clean, no excuses, or you can borrow from Nike – just do it

I think you get the idea; see what you can expand on in these areas, which you may have more than I’ve listed. The point is, we need to find ways to keep motivated on the goals and outcomes we’ve set – choosing a word or theme is a great way to keep motivated and in achievement mode. As an add-on, make a picture or visual representation of what you came up with.

Keep your word or phrase in places where you will see it: as a screen saver on your fridge or bathroom mirror, or on a sticky note you keep by your computer screen. The more you see them, the more focus and motivation you will have to keep working towards your new-set goals and finish the year out strong.

If you feel stuck on finding your theme, or setting goals for more achievement in the new year, let’s talk!

As we celebrate this most joyous day, I wanted to send out wishes that you, and your family, enjoy this day and remember the meaning it represents, not matter how you celebrate. Enjoy your day!Committed to Your Success Coaching & Consulting focuses on workplace happiness and organizational success.If you need help gaining clarity on your business or career goals, why not get some help – stop the struggle and call today to get started! https://cyscoaching.com or barbara@cyscoaching.com. For more great tips, visit our other blog at https://allaboutcareersites.com

First off, TGIF! This is the last day of the work-week, for most, while also being a long weekend due to Christmas being Monday. While most are just trying to get through the day and get on with their time off, there is s till work to get done.
A great exercise to do today, and every Friday, is to go back and review your week to see what your ‘wins’ were, as well as what did not (and why); there are several benefits to doing so:

it shows your accomplishments, as these often get forgotten in the busyness of the week. It’s important to see that you are doing more than you believe which elevates your confidence and motivates you to continue on

It shows what you did not get done – no explanation on this one but it’s important to see why they did not – did something get in the way (an outside source), was it you and some underlying fear, etc. Without knowing you will continue these patterns

It shows what’s important to you regarding where you place your focus, and what tasks align with your skills and strengths. Often times, without realizing it, you may place importance on activities that feel ‘comfortable’ or are non-threatening, and not tackle those that are important and create high emotion. Do you read emails when you should be writing that report?

It shows where your time-wasters are so you can make corrections – time wasters occur for reasons I just stated – there is some underlying fear that arises and takes over. The amygdala (fight or flight) actives, releasing cortisol which hits the executive functions in the brain leaving you to put them off or avoid completely. Understanding this will help you to create a schedule you can stick with and get more done and plan for pushing past when those times occur

Its shows you how to set goals and what you need to prioritize – reviewing the past week’s list can uncover patterns for how you set goals and how you prioritize those activities (if you do, which you should). Recognizing your work patterns can go a long way to reinforcing those that are having an effect and those you need to stop doing. Prioritizing tasks is another key element to accomplishment and gives you direction on how you plan your day; overwhelm occurs when you think all of your given tasks have to be done at once so giving them a rating number will alleviate this problem. You can give them a 1-2-3, etc. or an A-B-C rating so you have no doubt on which to work on first.

It shows you what needs to get done for next week’s to-do list – now that you’ve reviewed your current week, you can take any unfinished tasks and carry them over to your new list, giving them a priority rating, and then add any new items. You will be clearer on how to start your week and can rest easy on your days off. You won’t wake up in the middle of the night, suddenly remembering that you forgot to do something needed.

This exercise will go a long way to your productivity and managing your time throughout the day. Your days will go by smoother from planning better, which all starts with a review. Wishing you relaxing weekend!Committed to Your Success Coaching & Consulting focuses on workplace happiness and organizational success.If you need help gaining clarity on your business or career goals, why not get some help – stop the struggle and call today to get started! https://cyscoaching.com or barbara@cyscoaching.com. For more great tips, visit our other blog at https://allaboutcareersites.com

Membership has its benefits; being a member of a networking group, or a professional association, definitely has its benefits:

you can network with like-minded people, who have your same interests and experience

you can get educated on the latest and greatest that is happening in your field that will enhance your professional development

you can volunteer to serve in a leadership capacity of some type; this raises your profile and you become memorable to others

you can speak, or serve on a panel, so that others can see your expertise

you can find a job, not just through networking but these types of groups have job boards that list postings

you can find a mentor, either formally or informally, who can help you in your career path or can connect you to the ‘right’ people’

you can find potential clients, or referrals to them

But, while membership has its benefits, it also means you have to show up to meetings and participate. If not, why join (and to put it on your resume doesn’t count). Associations and groups rely on your participation in their meetings and offerings; these are for your benefit, as mentioned above. But you also have to see the benefit and truly be a member – an active member; if not, these will fail.

Recognizing that there can be some challenges from actively participating. i.e. work schedules, time of day, location, time of year, etc. that do get in the way. Another factor is balancing time for business activities, such as client meetings or working with them. So adding your professional meetings into your calendar will become another appointment to fulfill.

Many connections and friendships can also ensure from going to meetings, which is what these are all about. How you capitalize on these opportunities is yours for the taking; but, from personal experience, they have led to:

speaking opportunities

being a published author

leading a mentoring program

business leads that turned into clients

referral partners

friends

“Membership has its privileges,” as the saying goes, so take advantage of a great way to enhance your career by becoming a member of a group in your industry. Be committed to the group and the benefits you receive will come back to you in ways you cannot imagine. Most allow you to visit before joining, so go to several and see what they’re about to ensure a good ‘fit.’ Focus on the benefits you’ll receive and the decision will be an easy one to make.

Professional development is critical to ensuring that your skills and aptitudes are at their highest. Just like an athlete has to condition themselves for playing on the field or running a marathon, workers need to do the same.
Professional development involves taking the skills you use most often and focusing on them, so that they are at their highest; it also involves learning new skills or knowledge that will enhance what you currently know. This is what leads to being a high performer – never thinking you know everything or being satisfied; it’s recognizing that there is always something to be learned and then putting the new-found information into practice.
Professional development, however, begins with personal development. This is where you work on yourself, i.e. the ‘inner workings,’ if you will. Understanding yourself is the key to success. It’s the ‘how’s’ and ‘why’s’ of why you do what you do. Areas to work on include:

perceptions and expectations

attitude

communication skills

conflict management (including resolution)

drives and motivations

values

habits

beliefs

All of these drive your behaviors, especially looking at your perceptions and expectations, which then lead to beliefs, which, ultimately, drive your behaviors and the other items on the list above. It’s also about managing them, ala being emotionally intelligent. Working on these areas will help you to be more effective in all you do, no matter what environment or situation you find yourself in. You will have more effective relationships, as you will be more open to others, have more empathy, listening more and then regulating your responses to what you hear and see.
How do you develop personally? It’s no different than steps you would take in your professional life:

read books on mindset, self-esteem, communication, etc.

listen to TED Talks, podcasts, or audio books

attend networking meetings or join groups on a specific area

go to a seminar or workshop

journal daily to uncover your thoughts/feelings and set daily goals

read motivational quotes that lift you up

work with a coach, who can help you to uncover negative patterns and help you develop new, more positive skills

Enhancing your personal development will lead you to being at your best; this, then, leads to you being your best in your professional life. After all, you are the same person in both arenas. Bringing out your best will lead to more success and a more fulfilled life overall.
If you’re ready to be your best, let’s talk!Committed to Your Success Coaching & Consulting focuses on workplace happiness and organizational success.If you need help gaining clarity on your business or career goals, why not get some help – stop the struggle and call today to get started! https://cyscoaching.com or barbara@cyscoaching.com. For more great tips, visit our other blog at https://allaboutcareersites.com